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Street Talk Newsletter

Battling Myths of Stigma

by Sgt. Sally Panzer

This is the first in a three-part series talking about the very things both first responders and the military do not like to talk about. Let’s get down to it and start with stigma. Stigma is the very reason we don’t like to talk about what is going on with us, how we are feeling and how we are coping. Putting all pretense aside, we don’t want to feel judged. No one wants to feel judged, especially those of us who are in professions where strength, courage, and bravery are important and valued.

We are in a chosen profession that requires each of us to be an alpha. It is an alpha-dominated profession for males and females. We are dominate in our personality and our energy. We tend to have a command presence naturally. The very thought of asking for help gives the notion to some that we are weak. Not true, of course, but it is the stigma we face.

Stigma has a very negative connotation. It is defined as a “mark of disgrace with a particular circumstance, quality or person”. (Dictionary, n.d.) Social stigma is equally as negative. Social stigma refers to the discrimination of person because of their perceived social characteristics that distinguish them from the “norm” of society. It is like wearing a badge of dishonor alongside or on top of the badge of honor we swore our lives to protect. Stigma stems from a lack of understanding more so than based on facts. Either way you slice it, stigma hurts and is a barrier to healing.

As of the date of this writing, 106 law enforcement officers have died by suicide. Law Enforcement suicides have almost doubled LODD, which stands at 62. The NYPD lost 4 officers in 3 weeks despite their efforts. Chicago P.D. lost 6 to suicide in 8 months. The question these departments continue to ask is, “Why?” “Why did this happen?” “Why didn’t they reach out for help?” The answer is not so simple, but the simplest answer is stigma.

Stigma makes us question our strength, our resiliency, our beliefs. We ask ourselves what will my friends, family and co-workers think of me if I ask for help? Will they think I am weak? Will they think I can’t do my job? Will they think less of me? Will I lose my job – the thing I’ve wanted to do my entire life? Will they take away my badge? My gun? Will they see me as unfit? How can I provide for my family? These thoughts are the results of stigma that has plagued alpha-dominated fields for years.

Stigma is also influenced by our thoughts. Nothing is wrong with me. I’m fine (we all know the symbolism of this one!). I don’t need help. I can handle this on my own. We end up denying ourselves the help we need and the help we can get because of stigma.

Let me be clear, people seek therapy for many reasons: coping with stress, finances, marital or personal discord, whatever. No one is weak for asking for help, nor does it mean they have a mental illness. It just means they need help with something.

Myth Busters

Myth #1: My employer can obtain information about my visits. FALSE!

Licensed mental health professionals are legally and ethically obligated to protect client privacy. If an officer seeks help on their own – meaning they have not been court or department ordered – the employer doesn’t even have the right to know that an officer is attending therapy. Nothing said in therapy sessions can be released unless the client signs a written consent. The only time confidentiality can be broken is for the following reasons and they apply to all clients:

Suspected child abuse or neglect

Threat of imminent physical harm by a client to another person (duty to warn)

If a mental health evaluation must be initiated for a client who is imminently dangerous to self, others, or is gravely disabled as a result of a mental disorder

A suspected threat to national security must be reported to federal authorities

Suspected elder abuse or neglect

Myth #2: My rights to privacy change if I use my insurance or EAP. FALSE!

Treatment paid for by your insurance or received from your EAP is protected under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

Myth #3: There is no reason to see a mental health professional because the rules are the same for a peer group. FALSE!

Limits of confidentiality vary by department. The standards of a peer group may also differ from those of a mental health professional. During the first peer-to-peer meeting, facilitators must disclose the limitations and rules they are bound to, whether by state statute or departmental rules. Peer Support Specialists are also obligated to report items in Myth #1.

Myth #4: My department automatically has the right to know if I’ve been diagnosed with a mental illness and take prescribed medication. FALSE!!!!

You are protected under HIPAA. Your diagnosis, treatment, and medication are confidential. A written release must be signed by the client to share this information.

Myth #5: If I voluntarily seek help from a hospital or rehab facility, the department has the automatic right to know. FALSE!!!!!

Again, HIPAA protects this information. The department may only obtain information the client agrees upon as specified in his/her written/signed release.

Myth #6: If an officer is placed on a 96-hour hold, they automatically lose their right to possess and carry a firearm and POST certification. FALSE!

Missouri does not have a law stating an officer loses their POST certification if placed on a 96-hour hold. I encourage all law enforcement to review their departmental and state policies regarding this.

Myth #7: If I voluntarily seek help from a mental health professional, I am automatically deemed unfit-for-duty. FALSE!!!!!

Reaching out for help voluntarily does not immediately mean you are unfit for duty.

Myth #8: Therapy is the same as a fit-for-duty evaluation. FALSE!!!!

In a fit-for-duty, the employer is the client; in a therapy session, the person seeking help is the client. If the client is obtaining help voluntarily, all the rights stated above are intact.

Fighting stigma and helping yourself in the process:

Talk about it. The only way to make stigma go way and to lessen its effects is to talk about it!

Get treatment. Strength comes from knowing when you need help. We are stronger together. We can’t do it all alone. Be strong enough to know when you need help.

Find positive support. Positive support comes in many different forms: family, friends, peer groups, and animals. Find your support system and use it.

Invest in others. It is said that by helping others you help yourself. Take time to help and be there for others.

Help will always be there for those who ask for it.

Sgt. Sally Panzer, in her 19th year with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, has spent 16 years as a hostage/crisis negotiator. She has been involved with CIT since 2003. In 2017, Sgt. Panzer moved into the newly-created, full-time position of CIT and Officer Wellness Coordinator. She is a national speaker on the topics of officer wellness and the prevention of law enforcement suicide. Sgt. Panzer serves on the Major City Chiefs’ Suicide Prevention and Wellness Task Force Committee, and is dedicated to saving lives and bettering others who need and want help.